President Hosni Mubarak also tackled the building of the first nuclear station for power generation within the coming few weeks, his "reform agenda", and Egypt''s policy towards Nile waters while rejecting the opposition plans to form a parallel parliament.
Mubarak praised "the economic reform policies that gave new drive to the economy".
He said: "Our economy stood in the face of the financial crisis without seeking help from anyone.
He vowed the priority will remain the underprivileged and unemployed.
Speaking about the opposition the president satirised their plans to form an alternative parliament, and called them to "suit themselves."
The Nile waters and Egypt''s share of it has never been a topic to be mentioned in presidential speeches which were dominated by West Asian issues most of the time but after this year''s row Between Egypt and Sudan on one hand and the remaining Nile Basin countries on the other about a new agreement to share the Nile Waters, the topic took centre stage in today''s speech by the Egyptian president.
The president called Egypt''s share of Nile water "a matter of national security" and a "pivotal aspect of Egypt''s strategy for the future". .
